Both sides discuss peace, tranquility
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, leading an Indian military delegation to China, met the Chinese Ground Forces’ Commander Gen Han Weiguo and discussed issues having strategic ramifications and measures to enhance peace and tranquility along the sensitive borders.
The Indian Army described the meeting between Lt Gen Singh and Gen Han as “historic”.
Gen Singh’s visit is the second-ever by a Northern Army Commander to China, earlier being in 2015, said Udhampur-based Army PRO (Defence) Lt Col Abhinav Navneet in a statement here.
He added the two Generals discussed issues having strategic ramifications to include regional security environment, joint training and measures to enhance peace and tranquility along the borders.
The spokesman said the visit would “serve as a milestone” by cementing mutual ties.
“This will achieve the twin aims of high level military co-operation and stabilizing the sensitive borders of both the countries,” he added.
During the five-day visit that started on January 7 the Indian delegation will hold talks with top Generals of China’s People’s Liberation Army and visit vital military and civil establishments in Beijing, Chengdu, Urumqi and Shanghai.
The visit comes close on the heels of Joint Military Exercise ‘Hand-in Hand 2019’ held recently between the two countries in eastern theatre in Meghalaya.
“There has been a marked increase in mutual coordination between armies of both the countries and a will to foster friendly relations between them,” the spokesman said.
The visit of Northern Command chief to China assumed significance as China had in 2010 denied visa to then GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen BS Jaswal to visit the country claiming that he heads the Command in a State which was “disputed”. India had strongly reacted to this and denied permission to three Chinese Military officers to visit India.
However, later another Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda had visited China.
Sources said Lt Gen Ranbir Singh was scheduled to visit China in September last year but had deferred the visit in view of situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of abrogation of special Constitutional provisions of the erstwhile State and its bifurcation into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
China had objected to the Indian decision to declare Ladakh a Union Territory.
In such a situation, sources said, the visit of Northern Command chief to China and his meetings with top Generals of the neighbour were very significant and will help in further boosting ties between the two neighbours.
India and China shared un-demarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Though the situation gradually remained peaceful on the LAC between India and China, some incursions are reported occasionally due to no demarcation of the boundary which are resolved amicably by the two sides.
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